Bell named top women’s coach

Kris Bell made quite the impression in his first season as head coach of the Acadia Axewomen swim team.

Bell was recently chosen by his peers as the Atlantic University

Sport (AUS) women’s swimming coach of the year. It is the first time an Acadia coach has won this award.

The Axewomen achieved one second-place team finish and twothird place team finishes during 2021-22. Six swimmers from Acadia also posted qualifying times for the U Sports national championship.

Bell came to the Acadia swim team from the Toronto Swim Club, where he worked as an assistant coach with national and junior programs.

Dalhousie’s Lance Cansdale received the men’s swimming coach of the year honours for the fourth time in his career. He also has won the women’s coach of the year recognition eight times.

Other recipients of year-end AUS swimming awards were Noah Mascoll-Gomes, Dalhousie, swimmer of the year; Matthew Whelan, Memorial, rookie of the year; and Oliver Keith, Mount A llison, studentathlete community service award.

At the conference championships, March 11-13 in Halifax, Acadia swimmers won seven gold medals.

Shane Kenny, a Bathurst, N.B., native, won the 100-metre butterfly in 54.7 and the 50-metre butterfly in 24.21.

Dean Sangster, of Truro, came first in the 50-metre freestyle in 22.62 while Gordon Shortt, of Simcoe, Ont., was victorious in the 50metre breaststroke in 28.74.

Acadia’s team of Bo StokesburyPrice, Sangster, Shortt and Kenny also won the 400-metre freestyle relay in 3:23.81.

Jessica Pelletier, a fourth-year student from Fredericton, N.B., won the 50-metre backstroke in 29.37.

The Axemen finished second in the team rankings while the Axewomen were fourth.